Amalgamator



Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATET "QEFFHCE Walter J. Scott, Washington County, Oreg.

Application March 2, 1936, Serial No. 66,546

3 Claims.

1 5 amalgam.

It is a recognized fact that an amalgamator will recover only the relatively coarse particles of gold which are impinged upon the surface of the mercury. The finely divided or flour gold is difiicult to amalgamate, for the reason that this gold floats quite readily, and any gold which floats through the amalgamator is lost over the tailrace unless supplemental processes, such as cyanidation tables or flotation concentration processes, are employed for its recovery. Various devices have been employed heretofore to impinge the finely divided gold upon the surface of the mercury. In one of these, used in connection with hard rock mining, the impinging action has been obtained by placing the amalgamating plates Within the stamp battery and utilizing the splash, caused by dropping the stamps, to throw the ore pulp onto the surface of the mercury. In placer mining, the practice has been to break up'the amalgamating plates into a numberof short sections and arranging them in stepped relation, the drop from step to step being about one-half inch. As the placer gravel drops the distance of one-half inch from step to step, the heavier particles of gold impinge upon the mercury coating of the amalgamating plates. However, these and related processes have proven to be only partially successful, and it has remained for applicant to invent an apparatus which will recover substantially all of the gold'or other precious metals passing through the device.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus designed to prevent the losses now being incurred in present methods of mining, without '40 the necessity of employing supplemental processes for the recovery of available gold. The embodiment of the invention is characterized by the fact that the machine is inclined rearwardly' with its discharge end at a higher elevation than its input end, and that each of the amalgamating plates is also inclined rearwardly, with its forward edge at a higher elevation than its rearward edge." All material passed through the' amalgamator is caused to run'uphill; and by means of a novel arrangement of-restricted apertures andbaffles, through and around which thematerial' must pass, together with means for inducing a side to --sidereciprocating motion of the device, the surface of the mercury is kept free from scum and '55 the finely divided gold is'thoroughly wetted and caused to impinge upon the surface of the mercury.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the amalgamation of gold or other precious metals with mercury which will recover substantially all of any such metals passing through the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for thoroughly wetting finely divided or flour gold to cause it to impinge upon 10 the surface of the mercury in an amalgamator.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for the amalgamation of precious metals with mercury in which the surface of the mercury will be kept free from scum. 2 3

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for the amalgamation of precious metals with mercury which will prevent loss of mercury due to scouring of the amalgamating plates by the passage of material thereover. 20

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and set forth in the appended claims; it being understood that 5 various changes in form, proportion, size and details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 30

In the drawing:

Figure I is a plan View of an amalgamator embodying the principles of the present invention, the cover being removed and the position of the battle plates indicated in dotted lines. 3

Figure II is a sectional elevation taken. along the line 22 of Figure I and having the cover and baffie plates in place. I 7

Figure III is an end elevation of the device taken on the line 3-3 of Figure II.

Figure IV is a sectional end elevation of the device taken on the line 4-4 of Figure II.

Figure V is an enlarged sectional elevation illustrating the construction and arrangement of the parts in each of the amalgamating chambers. 45

Figure VI is an enlarged sectional elevation illustrating a modified form of the amalgamating plates.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a box I having a cover 2, into which placer gravel and the like is introduced by way of a hopper 3 'at one end thereof, and from which the residual material is discharged by Way of a tailrace 4 at the opposite end thereof. The interior of the box is divided into a plu-i'ac from the rear wall of each chamber. .of a relatively short, sharply inclined plate has rality of amalgamating chambers 5 by means of a removable longitudinal partition 6 and transverse partitions I. The latter partitions are spaced from four to six inches apart, and the width of the box is such that the longitudinal and transverse partitions form amalgamating chambers of from four to six inches square and approximately three inches in depth. The box I is inclined upwardly from the input end to the discharge end to retard the flow of material therethrough. The amalgamating chambers are arranged in series from end to end of the box, so that as the ore pulp progresses through the machine it flows from one chamber into another through restricted apertures 8 in the transverse partitions 1.

The apertures 8 in the transverse partitions I are preferably midway between the sidewalls of the amalgamating chambers, and extend from the top of the chamber to a point above the floor of the chamber equal to the elevation of the forward end of the amalgamating .plate therein. The .width of the aperture is approximately one-third, the width of the chamber, as .best seen in Figure IV.

vAmalgamating plates 9 cover substantially the bottom of each chamber 5 and are inclined up- Wardly from the rear to the forward end of each chamber. As best seen in Figures II and V, these plates 9 need not cover the entire surface of the bottom of the chambers, but may have their lower edges spaced forwardly a short distance The use been found desirable for the recovery of coarse gold. The spaces between the lower end of the .amalgamating plates 9 and the rear walls 7 of the amalgamating chambers form a succession of pockets 5a. Due to the uphill slope of the box I and the sharp incline of the amalgamating plates 9, particles of rusty or coated gold, which do not readily unite with the mercury to form an amalgam, will collect and remain in these pockets. Experience in operating the machine has taught that such deposits will largely be recovered in the first three amalgamating chambers.

When material containing finely divided gold is being run, it has been found desirable to use relatively long amalgamating plates as illustrated at I 0 in Figure VI, which more completely cover the bottom of each chamber, and which have a lesser degree of slope than do the shorter plates 9. As indicated hereinabove, the bottom of the aperture 8 in thetransverse partitions 'l coincide with the elevation of the forward edges of the amalgamating plates, so that the material progresses upwardly over the plate to the level of the bottom of the aperture 8, to drop therethrough to the bottom of the next succeeding amalgamating chamber. By reason of the stepped arrangement of the amalgamating plates, the heavier particles of gold are impinged upon the plates as the material drops from one amalgamating chamber to another, the more finely divided gold being impinged thereupon in a manner presently to be described. Due to the novel arrangement of the amalga-mating plates, the ,film of mercury with which the plates are covered is heaviest at the lower or rear end of the plate, which is the point of initial contact with material flowing through the aperture 8 in the rear wall of the: chamber. This is due to the tendency of the mercury to flow to the plates.

and from the first. of the series of amalgamating end portions of trucks rollable carriage for the box I.

lower edge of the plate, as evidenced by the slight bead which forms at this point.

An important feature of the invention is the construction by means of which the stream of gold bearing material is diverted and caused to swirl and fold upon itself as it passes through the amalgamating chambers. This is partly due to the particular placement of the restricted apertures 8 in the end walls of each chamber, but more especially to the effect of the baffle plates ll, one of which is positioned in each chamber directly in line with the apertures in the walls which define the length of the chamber. These baflie plates II are. aflixed to the cover 2 and depend therefrom to a point just short of the face of the amalgamating plates. Their width is slightly more than the width of the apertures in the end walls of the chambers, so that they cause the stream of material flowing through the chamber to change completely the direction :of its flow. .As thestream strikes against .the bafiieqplate II and is, forced .therearound, it is caused to swirl and fold upon itself so that the surface of the stream. is; foldedv therebeneath, and

any gold floating thereupon is completely submerged and thoroughly wetted and caused to impinge upon the surface of the mercury. Moreover,=the position of thebafileplates H obviates scouring of the amalgamating plates, such as commonly occurs when material is washed across the surface of the plates in a direct line,and the loss of mercury from the plates, as well as the loss of the compoundedamalgam, is reduced to an. absolute minimum.

It will .be noted thatthere are two chambers I2-l2 at the input end of each of the channels formed by the amalgamating chambers, in which there are neither amalgamating plates nor baffle These are separated from each other chambers, by transverse partitions 1 having apertures 8 corresponding tothosewhich permit communication between the amalgamating chambers. These initial chambers serve to remove heavy particles, such as nails, rocks and other debris from the material passing through the machine which might otherwisedamage amalgamating plates or tend .to clog or choke up the track which isengagedby aplurality of flanged wheels I 6. The wheels l6 .arejournalled in the I'l-I'I which form a It will be noted that the cross members l5 are positioned with their facesdisposed at acute angles, so thatthe surfaces of the-track slope away from its-central apex. Sand or other gritty material fallingupon the track will be dislodged therefrom by the force of gravity to prevent undue wear of the track or wheels.

A shaft. I8 is journalled in bearings l.9l9 in cross members ii, to one end of which is keyed a crank 20. A link'2l connectsthe crank 20 to the box 1 whereby, upon rotation of the crank, the box receives a reciprocatory sidewise motion equal-t0 the length of throw of the crank. ,Power to rotate the crank may be supplied from any suitable source to' a pulley"22 keyed to the opposite end of the shaft 18. By means of the reciprocatory motion thus imparted. to the box "I, the "15 stream of material passing through the box is caused to flow from side to side of the amalgamating chambers and tends to keep the surface of the amalgamating plates free from scum so that the gold will instantly amalgamate with the mercury. Also, the reciprocating action enhances the swirling motion of the stream and induces considerable splash in the chambers to more thoroughly wet the gold and cause it to impinge upon the surface of the mercury. Moreover, this action assists in breaking up particles of clay so as to free any gold clinging thereto, and to wash the gold from other particles which might otherwise carry it through the machine.

Although there is shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of the invention, its application is not necessarily confined thereto, but may be used either in its entirety or in part, and either with or without modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is not intended to limit the application of the present invention for use in the recovery of gold, the word gold as used herein being intended to cover any precious metals which combine with mercury to form an amalgam. Moreover, it is not intended to limit the application of the invention to an amalgamator employing any particular arrangement or number of amalgamating chambers, the arrangement illustrated and described being considered as suggestive only, and I deem myself entitled to all such uses, modifications and variations thereof as may be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an amalgamator, a box, a plurality of amalgamating chambers arranged in Series from end to end of the box, the box being inclined upwardly from the input end to the discharge end to retard the flow of material therethrough, a plurality of spaced partitions, defining said chambers, each said partition having a restricted aperture therein for effecting communication between adjacent chambers, an amalgamating plate in each said chamber, said plates being inclined upwardly from the rear to the forward end of each chamber, and a baffle plate disposed above each said amalgamating plate and interposed directly between said apertures.

2. In an amalgamator, a plurality of amalgamating chambers arranged in series longitudinally of the machine, the discharge end of said series of chambers being positioned at a higher elevation than the input end, a plurality of partitions defining said chambers, each of said partitions having an aperture therein to permit ore bearing material to flow through said chambers, a bafiie interposed intermediate each of said partitions and in longitudinal alignment with said apertures to cause said material to change direction of flow in passing through said chamber.

3. In an amalgamator, an amalgamating chamber, a pair of spaced walls defining said chamber, each of said walls having a restricted aperture therein to permit material to fiow through said chamber, a baflle interposed between said apertures intermediate said walls, said baifie being of larger dimensions than said aperture, an amalgamating plate in said chamber, and means for imparting a transverse reciprocatory motion to said chamber to cause the stream of ore bearing material to fiow from side of side of said chamber around said baflle and over said amalgamating plate.

WALTER J. SCOTT. 

